GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The 25th-ranked Salisbury University volleyball team was competitive throughout but ultimately fell short in a matchup of 20-win sides, falling to the Gettysburg Bullets 3-1 (21-25, 25-16, 25-21, 25-15) on Sunday afternoon at Bream Gymnasium.
The Sea Gulls pulled away midway through a competitive first set, building a 15-14 lead to 19-14 thanks in part to a pair of
Jackie Mitchell service aces. The Bullets regrouped and whittled the deficit down to 21-19, but back-to-back
Julie Altieri kills rolled the momentum right back to SU, and Mitchell settled up moments later on a feed from Altieri to clinch the opener 25-21.
In the second set it was GC's turn to create distance midway through the fixture. Up 15-13, the Bullets got six of the next seven points to go up 21-14, then soon after landed the final three points of the set, including back-to-back aces from Kierra Fox to wrap it up at 25-16.
The third set played out similarly to the first, with SU using a 5-1 run to flip a 12-12 draw to a 17-13 lead. Gettysburg adjusted and answered, though, notching 12 of the next 16 points in a sprint to the finish line. An SU service error gave the home side the lead in the match, 25-21.
The Bullets rolled their momentum into the fourth set, going on a 9-2 run midway through to build a 20-11 advantage. The deficit was too large for Salisbury to overcome, and Clare Farrell blasted one final kill to salt it away for Gettysburg, 25-15.
GAME NOTES
- Gwen Eustace powered down 12 kills on a .333 swing percentage to pace the Sea Gulls.
- Jackie Mitchell narrowly missed out on a double-double with nine kills and a team-leading 18 digs.
- Natalie Uibel and Kiley McTaggart landed nine kills apiece.
- Julie Altieri recorded her third straight double-double (14th overall) with 39 assists and 10 digs.
- Prudence Marco chased down 14 digs, while Grace Rail added nine.
- The Sea Gulls hit .178 as a team with 48 kills and 21 errors.
The Sea Gulls will look to turn the page in the final weekend of the regular season, starting on Friday at Widener. First serve from Chester, Pa., is set for 7 p.m.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 200 conference championships, and 50 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
